Tie stay



Mamh 211, 19% s. suemo 250M346 TIE STAY Filed Sept. 22, 1947 dam zzeZ ugina Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention pertains to tie stays and particularly one adapted to retain the tie in extended position below the knot.

It is an object of my invention to provide a stay which can be secured against vertical movement by the tie knot.

Another object is to provide a stay which will maintain the tie in a horizontally extended position below the tie knot.

A further object of my invention is to enable adjustment of the stay to accommodate ties of varying sizes and knots of all four-in-hand ties.

An additional object is to provide a tie stay easily attached or removed.

A still further and additional object is to provide a stay which will adequately hold a four-inhand in proper position, but permit the securing means to be completely obscured by the tie.

Figure l is a perspective view of a collar and tie on which the tie stay is secured to the under side of the tie.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the preferred form of tie stay.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of a modification of the stay shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of adjustment means which could be applied to Figure 3.

In the drawings, the reference numeral l9 applies to the tie while a collar is shown at l2 and the wings at M.

The preferred form of stay comprises a stiff but relatively flexible wire is with a vertical central bowed portion l8. The ends 20 of the wire it are secured by solder, or any other conventional manner, to tubular members 22. of the tubular members 22 is provided with enlarged portions 24 at their outer ends and has a bore 26, extending through the length centrally of the member 22. A longitudinal slot 28 is provided in each of these tubular members which may be formed of two half sections to enable installation of the ends 2t and the tie securing means 30. Subsequently, these halves are secured by solder or any other conventional means.

The tie engaging means is composed of stiff wire having one end 32 bent at approximately right angles, the wire being adapted to be received in the opening 26 and prevented from slipping out of the opening due to the upturned end 32 striking the abutment 34 at the end of slot 28. The member 32 further serves as a thumb piece to retract the member 30. The opposite or outer end of the wire 30 is formed into Each 1 approximately a triangular shape 36 having its 55 extremity 38 sharpened or pointed to engage the cloth of the tie it when secured in position. The tie engaging means 39 is urged outwardly from the tubular member 22 due to the expansion springs 40 exerting a force outwardly against the right angular end of thumb piece 32.

It can be appreciated that when the central bowed portion l6+i8 is inserted into the outer loop of the knot of the tie and the pointedends or'prongs 38 are inserted in the material on the under side of the tie, the stay will be held in position and the original appearance of the tie when first tied will be maintained. Continuous tension is exerted against the tie engaging prong 38 due to the expansion spring 40 forcing the tie engaging member 30 outwardly of the tubular member 22. In Figure 2, one of the tie engaging means is ShOWn turned at right angles to the other for clarification.

A modification is shown in Figure 3 wherein the stay comprises an inverted T-shaped member having a vertical portion l6 and a horizontal portion 22. Triangular portions 42 are stamped out of the material on two edges and the third or inner side bent upwardly to form a prong 38'. Similarly, the vertical portion I6 is adapted to be held by the knot portion and the prongs 38, formed on both ends of the horizontal portion, are adapted to engage the under side of the tie below the knot to keep the tie extended at this location.

However, this simplified form, although adequate for most ties, does not permit of adjustability where the ties are formed with longer knots or are quite wide just below the knot. Further, it is obvious that easy attachment is accomplished by the expansible construction shown in Figures 1 and 2. Accordingly, similar means are shown in Figure 4 wherein a tie engaging member 30" having a head 3i is movable within a chamber 33 formed in the leg portion 35, only one side being shown in this view. The member 30 is forced outwardly by a fiat expansible spring 40'.

Although the member 22 could be cylindrical, in this modification the cross-section is somewhat rectangular, and the head 3| is adapted to move within the rectangular shaped chamber 33. The purpose of this construction with the flat expansible spring 40 is to keep the thickness down to a minimum to prevent a bulky appearance throughout. A similar triangular prong construction 38 is formed on each end of the leg portions 35. It is also appreciated that a similar extensible end could be formed on the vertical portion IE to permit the end to extend well up into the knot. The stay is formed of two halves and secured together after the operating means have been installed.

I claim:

1. A tie stay for a four-in-hand tie comprising a bowed central portion having outwardly extending arms, two tie engaging means, intermediate portions positioned between said tie engaging means and said central portion, said intermediate portions formed of two half-sections having enlarged end portions and having a central bore, a slot formed in said intermediate portions and connecting with said bores, said two tie engaging means having a triangular tie engaging member on one end and a right angular leg on the other, said leg being adapted for movement in said slot, expansion springs on said intermediate portions adapted to engage and hold said tie engaging means in extended position.

2. A tie stay for a four-in-hand tie comprising a bowed central portion having outwardly extending arms, two tie engaging means, intermediate portions positioned between said tie engaging means and said central portion, said intermediate portions formed of two half-sections having enlarged end portions and having a central bore, a slot formed in said intermediate portions and connecting with said bores, said two tie engaging means having a triangular tie engaging member on one end and a right angular leg on the other, said leg being adapted for movement in said slot, expansion springs on said intermediate portions adapted to engage and hold said tie engaging means in extended position, and said right angular leg members adapted to act as thumb pieces to permit of easy withdrawal of said tie engaging means from said tie against the outward horizontal force of said springs.

3. An article of the character described, comprising a tie knot engaging central bowed rtion having oppositely extending arms, a cyl ndrical member having a central bore secured on the ends of each arm, an enlarged portion on the ends of each of the cylindrical members and a horizontal slot therebetween, tie engaging members movable in said bores, expansible springs formed on said cylindrical members between said enlarged portions having cooperative engagement with said tie engaging members to maintain said members in extended position.

SAMUEL GUGINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,464,577 Matchett Aug. 14, 1923 1,885,476 Pettit Nov. 1, 1932 1,955,988 Tufts Apr. 24, 1934 2,131,311 Cirelli Sept. 27, 1938 2,444,548 Wiebe July 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,678 Switzerland June 16, 1939 

